Sandpaper or the like



Jan. 21, 1947.

A. J. KAUFMAN SANDPAPER OR THE LIKE Filed March 1, 1946 INVENTOR ALAN a. KAUFMAN ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 21, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .S ANDPAPER on THE LIKE Alan J. Kaufman, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application March 1, 1946, Serial No. 651,175

4 Claims.

l ,This invention relates to sandpaper or other abrasive papers or cloths which embody sheet material coated on one sidewith anv abrasive of any degree of coarseness or fineness, depending upon the use to which the abrasive is intended. For thepurpose of this description, I will ,refer to the invention as used in connection with sandpaper although it is to be understood that this 'is illustrative of the broad class of abrasives which I have indicated.

When a person uses sandpaper, it is impossible to hold it satisfactorily unless it is doubled or folded into a pad or unless it is wrapped'about a block of wood or the like, with the edges of the sandpaper folded along the opposite sides of the block, so that it can be gripped by theiingers.

The object of the present inventionis to provide asimple and efficient means which maybe economically associated with conventional sheets of sandpaperand which .will serve as a handle by which the sandpaper" may be gripped for use inlieu ofwrapping the paper around a block or folding itin'to a pad.

The present invention, generally speaking, is characterized by a sheet of sandpaper or the like on the back of which is pasted a piece of relatively stiff and tough paper or cloth, such, for example, as manila paper or kraft. This paper, which forms a backing for the sandpaper, is preferably of a size to entirely overlie the back surface of the sandpaper. At convenient intervals, say 2" or 3" apart, the backing is perforated along parallel lines and is secured to the sandpaper medially of the distance between these parallel lines by parallel stripes of adhesive which may conveniently be from to 1" wide. When it is desired to use the sandpaper portions of both sheets may be cut or torn off along a line of the perforations to provide a useable strip. Along the longitudinal margins of each such strip, the backing paper is unattached and may be folded upwardly into perpendicular relation to the sandpaper, to form upstanding flanges which may be conveniently gripped by the user for the purpose of facilitating the manipulation of the sandpaper.

With sandpaper embodying the present invention, it is unnecessary to use a block of wood as heretofore or to fold this sandpaper sheet in any manner, although if desired a strip of wood may be positioned within the channel formed between the two flanges of the backing sheet if it is desired to apply a greater or more uniform pressure to the sandpaper while it is being used.

An important feature in the present invention resides in its simplicity and economy of manufacture. The sandpaper may be manufactured in the conventional way and the backing strip may be perforated and then laid upon and adhesively secured to the sandpaper by a separate operation, although it is entirely feasible to apply the perforated backing sheet to the sandpaper while the adhesive is being applied to the latter, so as not to require an additional manufacturing step. In practice, also it is possible to not only perforate the backing sheet, but to have these perforations also extend through the sandpaper as well, This will facilitatethe removal of desired portions of the sandpaper with corresponding portions of the backing sheet attached, without requiring the cutting or tearing of the sheets along a straight edge.

Another important feature of this invention is that the finished product will lie flat for packaging purposes and will not materially add to'the bulk of the sandpaper. The flanges, which are adapted to be gripped by the fingers of the operator, present to the fingers smooth suriaces which may be comfortably gripped and conveniently held and. the hands of the operator need not at anytime during the use of the sandpaper come into contact with any abrasive surface. This is particularly important in the use of sandpaper by amateurs whose hands are apt to be soft and easily cut or scratched by contact with coarse abrasives.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a back view of a sheet of sandpaper embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a portion of the sheet after being torn from the structure shown in Figure 1 to provide an elongated strip only the portion of the length of which is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 3 shows the manner of using the strip of Figure 2 after turning up the flanges of the backing sheet.

In the drawing, l designates a conventional sheet of sandpaper overlying the back of which is a backing sheet 2, provided longitudinally thereof with spaced apart parallel perforated lines 3 which preferably extend onlythrough the backing sheet 2 although they may extend also through the sandpaper sheet I. The perforated lines 3 may be of any desired distance apart, although, for the conventional 9 x 10" sheet of sandpaper shown in Figure 1, they may conveniently have a 2" spacing so as to subdivide the length of the sheets into five sections or transverse strips which are readily separable from one another by tearing along the perforated line 3. Extending transversely of the sheets i and 2 and positioned medially of the width of the several sections are stripes of adhesive 4 which secure the several sections of the backing sheet individually to the back face of the corresponding portions of the sandpaper.

When a portion of a sandpaper sheet is to be used, this portion and the abutting portion of the backing sheet are collectively torn from the remainder of the assembly so that the torn away part appears as the strip shown in full lines in Figure 2. To use this part the margins of the backing are turned up, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, to provide holding flanges 5. As illustrated in Figure 3 these flanges 5 may be conveniently gripped by placing the first finger of the hand between the flanges 5 with the thumb against the outside of one of the flanges and j the middle finger against the outside of the other flange. In this way, the assembly may be gripped firmly and the sandpaper used in the conventional Way.

If desired, however, a strip of wood of appropriate size may be positioned in the channel formed between the flanges 5 in Figure 3 in lieu of placing the first finger between these flanges, although the use of the strip of wood is not 'necessary to the satisfactory use of the sandpaper.

I have referred to the backing sheet as perforated along the lines 3, although it may be otherwise weakened as by scoring or the like.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form and the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure b Letters Patent is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a sheet of sandpaper, a backing sheet in face abutting relation to the back face of the sheet of sandpaper and secured to the latter by spaced apart stripes of adhesive, face abutting portions of the two sheets being collectively severable from the remainder of the assembly along lines intermediate the stripes of adhesive and the marginal edges of the backing sheet of each such removed portion being adapted to be bent upwardly to collectively provide a handle for said removed portion.

2. As a new artiole of manufacture, a sheet of sandpaper with stripes of adhesive arranged in parallel spaced relation across the back of said sheet, a backing sheet overlying the back face of said sandpaper and secured thereto'by said stripes of adhesive, said backing sheet being weakened as by perforations along lines parallel to and intermediate the stripes of adhesive.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a sheet of sandpaper with stripes of adhesive arranged in parallel spaced relation across the back of said sheet, a backing sheet overlying the back face of said sandpaper and secured thereto by said stripes of adhesive, said backing sheet and sandpaper being weakened as by perforations along lines parallel to and intermediate the stripes of adhesive.

4. A piece of sandpaper or the like provided across the back thereof with a stripe of adhesive, and a backing strip adhesively attached to the back of said piece of sandpaper along a zone intermediate two opposite edges of the piece of sandpaper leaving the corresponding marginal portions of the backing strip unattached, whereby they maybe folded upwardly to form holding flanges.

ALAN J; j 

